Method and means for leakproofing pipe joints



May 22,1934. I A, HIRSH I 1,959,532

METHOD AND IEANS FOR LEAKPROOFING PIP E JOINTS Filed March 12. 1932 INVENTOR v BY k ATTORNEYS lo guaranteed against Patented M0122, 1934 FFICE amn on AND Allan M. Hirsh,

poration of New Jersey MEANS FOR PIPE JOINT Montelalr, N. J., assignor Lock Joint Pipe Company, East Orange, N. J.

SLEAKPBOQFING acor- Application March 12, 1932, Serial No. 598,312

30laims.

'This invention relates to joints between pipe sections and, more particularly, to methods and means of leak proofing such joints against the passage of liquid which might otherwise occur I because of failure of the jointing material or the parting of the bond between the jointing material and the pipe sections. While there are many methods of connecting pipe sections, few, if any, joints may be fully leakage for a prolonged under all possible conditions. Some joints are packed with hemp and sealed with lead, and filling material containing cement is also used in conjunction with such materials and as the only filler of the space between the united end portions of pipe sections. For simple pipe-installations where the pipe is small and well protected and the work of assembling the same has been well done, there may never bev zo-any fear of leakage because of failure at the joints, but large sectional pipe presents more difliculties. Pipes of large capacity are frequently laid in the ground and used to carry liquids for many miles A leaking joint is difficult to find and if it is not repaired soon enough a blow out may occur entailing rnuch expense for its repair. j

No matter how carefully sectional pipe may be joined together, there are forces, such as the settling of surrounding earth, nearby explosions, earth tremors, and temperature-change, beyond the control of man, which may cause failure of joints. Added to these hazards there is always the possibility that workmen may have been delinquent-a particular jointmay not have been packed thoroughly or its jointing material may have included a poor grade of substance or may have been improperly mixed. oftentimes the loss .of material in transit'through a pipe line 40 is observed, but, although a leaking joint may be suspected, it usually is not an easy matter to-locate the disorder. In most cases much expense is involved.

Among the objects of my invention is to make joints leaf proof to avoid the loss of fluid substances and the heavyexpense incident to finding and repairing leaking joints, and, accordingly, I have been'led to devise the novel methods and joint seals to be described herein.- Other and incidental objects of my invention will ap pear in the specification and in the claims thereof. In .the drawing I-have illustrated a few samples of joints commonly used and the method of leak period of time and proofing such; joints.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through the axis of two connected pipe sections of a common variety of concrete pipe.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through a portion of the walls of two connected pipe sections 00 having-a ring about the'joint.

Fig. 3 shows a portion of another form of joint and the manner of rendering the joint leakproof.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinalsection through a portion of still another joint, showing the method of leakproofing the joint.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through a portion of a joint similar to that illustrated in Fig.-

4, showing another method of leak-proofing a similar joint.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through a portion of a joint between connectedmetallic pipes and. showing the manner in which such a joint may be rendered leak-proof.

Fig. 7 shows a portion of a casin material containing leak-stopping material- While I have illustrated by way, of example, only a limited number of well-known types of joints used for connecting pipe sections, I wish it to be understood that'my invention is applicable for use with any kindof a joint which is likely todevelop a leak, eitherbecause of the cracking or breaking down of jointing material, or because of the failure of the bond between the jointing material and the pipe surface-to which it initially as adhered. I have found that leaks, because of these reasons, may be effectively prevented by the use of a finely divided material which is so placed that the. water or other liquid leaking through the joint will carry the material and cause the same to fill such cracks as have occurred. The leak stopping material should be of such a nature and reduced to such a state that it will readily be distributed by water or any other liquid being carried in the pipe line. I prefer to use materials 5 of. a fibrous character which will tend to'catch upon the relatively rough I surfaces defining a crack. Its function is to pack itself in such a manner as tofill a. crack and form a barrier against the further. passage of liquid. Among the materials'which are useful I have found that very finely divided wood fibre is very satisfactory, but materials having similar properties and a specific weight less than that of water or other liquid to be stopped, are also useful. Such materials may include beaten felt, paper, hemp fibres or dust, cellulose, cotton-seed hulls, and straw, all finelydivided into small particles."

The materials should be placed somewhere in the joint between the inner surface. andthe 110 g of open mesh 75 ple, in Fig. 1 I have illustrated a common form of jointin which the finely divided material 10 forms a ring embedded within jointing material at 11 and 12. The finely divided material 10 may be placed in position just before the two sections of pipes l3, 14 are joined together, or if the size of the pipe permits, the finely divided material may be placed in position from the interior of the pipe after the sections have been joined.- The jointing material which is inside of the pipe is bonded to the opposite end portions of the two sections and effectively prevents access of water to the finely divided material so long as the joint remains undisturbed and in its normal condition. The jointing material 12, as well as that within the pipe at ll, performs the usual service of reinforcing and sealing the joint. If some injury should occur to the joint which would result in the breaking of the bond between the jointing material 11 and the end portion of a pipe section, water seeping through the fissure or crack formed would come into contact with the finely divided material and carry it along its path of travel. The material being of a nbrous and matting character is snared by the irregularity or the relatively rough surfaces and builds up a barrier'which effectively prevents the further flow oi? liquid. Where the occasion permits, the finely divided material may be placed in position in a dry or powdered form, but those who prefer may i apply it by the use of a carrier with which it may dill stopping material is to place various jobs.

be mixed and formed into a paste of such consistency that will permit trowelling or pumping into place. A paste containing aninert powder and water will maintain wood. fiber or other leak stopping material uniformly distributed in a fluid state. Suitable carriers may be made by the use of inert powders such as precipitated chalk, burnt gypsum, kaolin and calcined magnesite. Also, any substance which would be soluble in water or in the liquid intended to be carried by the pipe would be useful as a carrier, as, for example, some forms of glue or soluble gels. The carrier substance should be of such a nature that it will not impair the release 01 the fibres of the finely divided material constituting the leak stopping material which is to be carried by the leaking water into the crevices which are to be stepped up.

Another manner of handling and applying leak the same within a casing constituting a tubular member or told made of a material which will readily release the stopping material when wetted. A. sleeve of cellutextile material is satisfactory for this pur" pose since there is considerable reduction in the xlber of such material when immersed in water. Ordinary open-mesh fabrics treated with sizing to till the meshes but the mesh should not be so line as to prevent the release of the leak stopping material when the leakingwater washes out the sizing.

Convenient lengths of casings filled with wood fiber or other leak stopping material may be packed in containers and shipped as wanted on workmen may then out the sleeves into the lengths desired and place the same into joints. By minimizing the handling necessary, loss of leak stopping material through the meshes of a textile material will be avoided, The ends of the casing may be closed as illustrated at 15 in Fig. '7 and similar restrictions may be made may also be used to advantage at various lengths, say tor every two or four feet, to produce a member resembling a string of sausages, but it will be understood that the form of the casing is adaptable for the particular job and, in fact need not be made up until ready for insertion in a joint.

The invention, however, practiced, is applicable for use with practically any kind of a pipe joint in which jointing material may be used. By jointing material I mean cement, cement mortar, plaster, lead, hemp and other materials which may be used for filling a joint. It do not wish to be limited to any particular kind of jointing material, for it is apparent that the choice of such material is dependent upon the kind of joint and the material of the pipe and the size and use to which the pipe is to be put.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a portion of a joint with which a collar 16 is used. The leak stopping material 1'? is embedded within jointing material 18, ill and lies in the path of any liquid leaving the inside of the pipe through the joint. Owing to the position of material 17 it will clog any crack which might develop in or about the jointing material 19 or in or about the jointing material between the collar 16 and the outside or the pipe sections.

' Fig. 3 shows a portion of another form of pipe joint having a collar 20. For this joint the leak stopping material 21 may be applied from the outside of the pipe after the collar| has been placed in position. The joint is sealed as usual by jointing material 22. After the jointing ma terial 23 has been placed in position, the material 21 may be applied in such a manner as to be in the path of any liquid going in either direction along the outside of the pipe. It is then sealed in place by jointing material 24.

In Figs. t and 5, I have illustrated two similar forms of pipe joints and inithe joint shown in Fig. i, the leak stopping material ildhas been placed in position from the inside of the pipe and then sealed by jointing material 2?. The jointingmaterial between the spigot 28 and the bell 29 may be applied as is usual from the outside or'the pipe. For leak-proofing of the joint illustrated in Fig. 5 the leak stopping material 31 may be applied from the outside of the pipe after the two pipes have been joined and the jointing material 32 is in place. r

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a portion of a joint which is commonly used for v metallic pipes. With this kind of a joint, it is common practice to use hemp 34 which is sealed by a ring of lead at 35. In order to prevent the leakage of liuuid through the joint, I apply the'leak stopping material at 33 and seal this material from. the interior or the pipe by jointing material at 3'7. he in the case of concrete pipes and in the use of cement or cement mortar as the sole jointing material, the lealc stepping material at 36 will be carried along with any current oi lie uid that 'may develop and it will stop leairage through the hemp and along the facing end poi tions of the pipe sections.

In the short descriptions oi. the several joints shown in he drawing, 1 have not made particular reference to the application oi. lealr. prevents ing material by means or" a casing as illustrated in Fig. that "i". wish each instance theleal: preventing material. may be applied dry, in. a paste or by means or? a casing.

l contemplate leak-proofing of all joints at the time the pipe line is hiitially laid, so as to ob" it to be understood .La

, a, n lair ing joints. I have found, however, that my invention is applicable for stopping leaks in joints which have not been leak-proofed before laying, and I have obtained excellent results by drilling a hole into a joint and pumping a plastic mixture of wood dust and hydrated lime into the joint. The hydrated lime served as a carrier for distributing the particles of wood within the crack, and the water leaking from the joint leached out the lime and distributed the particles of wood along the crack or cracks. The matting and packing of the particles of wood served to effectively clog the crack or cracks which had been leaking. Other substances such as the inert powders I have mentioned hereinbefore arev also useful as carriers.

I claim:

1. In combination, connecting pipe sections with joined ends, a joint at the joined ends comprising jointing material about the joint and contacting with the oppositely'disposed surfaces of the ends of the connecting pipe sections, said jointing material being impervious to the passage of liquid ,therethrough and normally sealing the joint against leakage, and fibrous material in a free state within an annular recess walled by said jointing material, said jointing material maintaining the fibrous material available for rendering the joint leak-proof in the event of failure of the joint, but at the same time protecting the rial occurs.

same from access by liquid from within the pipe sections so long as the joint remains secure against leakage.

2. In combination, connecting pipe sections with joined ends, a joint at the joined ends comprising an outer sealing element, an-inner sealing element, both of said sealing elements being of such character as to normally prevent access of liquid to an annular recess between thesealing elements while the pipe is in use, and a quantity of fibrous particles within said annular recess and normally maintained inaccessible from liquid outside of the joint by the sealing elements, said I fibrous particles being loosely associated and available to be carried by liquid into sealing cooperation with the outer element to effect a seal therewith upon the occurrence of a leak in the joint.

3. In combination, connecting pipe sections with joined ends, a joint at the joined ends comprising jointing material sealing the outer portion of the joint, leak-stopping material in the form of finely divided wood fibres retained within' the joint by said jointing material, and jointing material closing off the space occupied bysaid leak-stopping material and preventing access of liquid thereto from within the pipe sections so long as no rupture of the jointing mate- 

